Itanagar: Socio-Cultural Capital of Arunachal Pradesh

14 hours from Shillong by overnight APST (Arunachal Pradesh State Transport) bus was not so tiring with frequent stops for food and personal ablutions. Unlike the private services ST buses ply slow and safe on this route – one of the busiest in Northeast – Shillong-Nafaon-Tezpur-Bandewara-Itanagar. Unless you have plans to visit other places in Arunachal than Tawang, you don’t need to come to Itanagar which is the main hub for ST buses to other parts of Arunachal. At the Secretariat you can obtain ILP to any part of Arunachal Pradesh especially the newly opened circuits namely Mechuka, Tuting. From Zero Point to Ganga market there is a dozen hotels of varying tariff. After shopping around for a while we settled at Hotel Alpine (Ganga Market, dbl 550, Tel 0360 221498), cheapest and closest to APST bus station and sumo counters. Next door was Kerala Bhawan, a restaurant run by Mohan and Biju hailing from Kayamkulam who were very helpful to provide rich information. 3 rooms will be ready for accommodation at Kerala Bhawan (dbl 600, Tel 96159 28200/03) by Dec 2012. Hotel Blue Pine (dbl 800-1500, Tel 0360 2211118) is more upmarket and has air conditioned rooms.

We contacted Sabu Kurien whom I had met on my way to NE in the train two years back. Very rarely people who meet on the train make it a point to meet again – Sabu told me this when we met at the gate of NERIST, Nirjuli 15 km away from Itanagar. Sabu and wife welcomed us with a sumptuous lunch despite his busy preparation for convocation at NERIST. People who genuinely welcome just an acquaintance with such a warm heart is a rare creed. Sabu gave us a tour around 600 acre campus and told us the stories from his 27 years of life in Arunachal. The river behind NERIST between Nirjuli and Doimukh is connected by a new motorable bridge and the old hanging bridge is no more functional. There used to be a narrow gauge from New Bongaigaon (Assam) to Doimukh and the train called Arunachal Express – was used earlier to reach Itanagar using ferry service across the river. This track is under conversion to broad gauge for the last many years.

Siddhartha Vihara Buddhist Monastery is 10 min walk uphill from Zero Point. The premises lack the tranquil ambience typical at Gompas, thanks to the youngsters freaking out on the winding road and at the parking lot. State museum seem to be closed.We saw many old local men sporting interesting Hornbill headgear and long swords. Ganga market had many shops lined up with food for both carnivores and herbivores. Garbage management seems to be non-existent, visual and olfactory effect is everywhere in the town. There are many shared auto rickshaws (Rs.10) and open sumos (Rs.20) plying between Itanagar and Nirjuli apart from the buses to Banderwara and Tezpur.

There are buses from APST bus station to Along (330, 6am, 2.30pm), Guwahati (290, 6am) Bomdila (290, 6am); double check the availability and timing at the bus station as they are not reliable. There is an early morning 5am Sumo service to Guwahati Airport for Rs.1500. Private operators run Sumos and buses to different places in Arunachal. We booked our ticket to Bomdila starting at 5pm (Rs.390, 12hrs, Yatayat tours and travels, Ganga market Tel 0360 2292839) reaching next morning, runs via Banderwara-Gophur-Tezpur-Balukpong (check post) – Bomdila. Sometimes the overnight vehicles may halt at check post until 4am due to security reasons, normally the vehicles from Tezpur run only during day.  Shorter and easier route to Tawang from Guwahati is to get ILP from Guwahati or Tezpur DC office, Parvatinagar Tel 03712 220241. For more details on ILP to Arunachal click here.

Shillong- Tourism Capital of Northeast

Guwahati "super fast" express was 4 hours late and we reached Guwahati by 12 noon. Had a booking at Ananda Lodge (MN Rd, 03612544832 dbl Rs.250) but the ongoing book fair made all the rooms occupied. Sweaty Guwahati did not make us stay further. We headed to Shillong taking a share sumo (Rs.150, 4 hrs), occasional 4 lane road construction on the GS road and tree falling on the road delayed us by 30 min. We darted to Aaron's (9863115302) shop,sells hiking and fishing gear ( DD Laloo & Co. U Tirot Sing Syiem Rd, Tel: 0364 - 2502420, email: xsvadventures@gmail.com) organizes off beat activities for students and corporates. After exchanging stories of last 2 years, we checked-in at Hotel Embassy (AC Lane, near Assam Studio, GS Road, dbl Rs.650). Rooms could be kept more clean for the price we pay. Shoddy toilet and metal tasting water are deterring but cheapest in the central area. Hotel Koshi Niwas (Hira Market, Thana Rd, Police Bazar, Tel: 0364 - 2500009, 9774040289, dbl Rs.700) is not so easy to find but best value for money. If you can stand the arrogance of the management, Earl Home Holiday (Oakland road, left turn from HDFC ATM, Tel: 0364-2228614, dbl Rs 350-3000) is a nice hotel with vast car parking area, the old hotel is the typical tin sheet roofed hill station building. Relishing the street food at Center Point (chowmein Rs.10, 3 eggs Rs.20) we called it a day, after travelling for 4 days from Cochin.

Called up HVK and updated about the status. After a quick breakfast at Gupta Restaurant in the Police Bazar next to U.P.Sweet Meat, we hopped on to supplementary transport service of Shillong ( TATA MAGIC) to Mawlai from Bara Bazar to visit Don Bosco Museum (Rs.60 admn fee) - the best place to start an expedition in Northeast. A thorough tour explaining the culture and tradition of Northeast, will take two hours and the view of sprawling Shillong city and outskirts from the sky walk on top of this seven storied building is spectacular. DBCIC (9.30a.m - 5.30p.m, Mon-Sat  1.30p.m-5.30p.m, Sunday). The next door Homely Hut restaurant offers mouth watering soups and delicious fried rice/chowmein (Rs 70).

Take any taxi  or bus heading to Guwahati and get down at Orchid Lake Resort at Bara Pani, 15 km from Shillong. Nehru Park (Rs.10) is close by and Water Sports Complex is 10 min walk with an admission fee of Rs.20 and boating extra. A good location to see the magnitude of Umiam Lake and magical Lumpondeng Island at a far distance. You get a great view from the bund next to the diversion to Airport without paying any admission fee. A few boys jumping from the bridge to the river and swimming back took us back to our childhood days.

Shillong comes to a virtual stand still on a Sunday with most of the shops closed and very few transport services, as locals go to church. Spend some time at well kept Ward's Lake and visit the architecturally magnificent wooden churches at the center of Shillong city to get over a lazy Sunday. All Saints Cathedral is the most remarkable for the it's wooden beams and stained glass paintings. The bells imported from England behind the church and the electrical ceramic switches and wiring inside the church take you back in time.

Finding Arunachal Deputy Commissioner's office, Old Arunachal Secretariat building (ITBP NE Head Quarters) near Anjalee petrol pump was not effortless. ILPs (Inner Line Permit) for Bomdila-Tawang circuit and Itanagar-Ziro-Along were obtained separately. Rs.25 for each permit and two passport size photographs along ID proof photocopies. Permits are given on same day unlike Arunachal House at Dispur where it takes two days to get the permit. Booked bus tickets to Itanagar Rs.380 at the tiny counter behind Old AP Secretariat building. Surprisingly the bus driver was a Keralite. Last row seats got moved to the very first row, Megha was saying all thanks to MMTP (Malyali-Malyali-Transfer-Protocol).  A truckload of vegetables was loaded on top of the bus-an indication that vegetarian food will be more expensive at Itanagar compared to Shillong. One of our co-passengers was a cute puppy. Bedford buses plying inside the city two years back gave way to swanky JNNRUM  city buses. Accommodation prices have been hiked up despite a reduction in luxury tax from 20% to 10%.Transport is cheap if you stick to state transport buses and TATA Magic, private shared taxi charges are more than double.Food is dirt cheap at small eateries and on the street.